Yeast Question

[MichiganMike]

I just bought two kits both with White Labs California Ale V Yeast WL051 that was shipped to my house today. I am not home and will not be home until 11:30 tonight. My question is that it is only 14 degrees outside right now, should I worry about the yeast freezing and if it does freeze will it be destroyed?

 

[BrewCrewKevin]

I just bought two kits both with White Labs California Ale V Yeast WL051 that was shipped to my house today. I am not home and will not be home until 11:30 tonight. My question is that it is only 14 degrees outside right now, should I worry about the yeast freezing and if it does freeze will it be destroyed?

Should be fine as long as you let it thaw out first.

 

[frazier]

You'll want to make a starter. I mean, you probably should anyway, but especially if you have any reason to suspect that viability may be affected.

Cheers!

 

[BigFloyd]

You'll want to make a starter. I mean, you probably should anyway, but especially if you have any reason to suspect that viability may be affected.

Cheers!

Definitely do a starter. Then you'll know whether or not it got frozen badly enough to form sufficient ice crystals (which can kill the yeast cells).

 

[MichiganMike]

Thank you everyone,
I was for sure going to do a starter this time and every time after the first batch I brewed that was stuck at 1.020 using a dry yeast.

 

[Zoidberg]

Yes starter for sure.

Btw, your brews finishing at 1.020 is probably for of a mash temperature or grain bill issue than a yeast issue, especially with dry yeast.

My guess is your mashing near 158-160F which I do purposely for my sweet porters or stouts. if your thermometer reads lower Han that during mash I would test it. Make sure a solid boil of waters come in at 212F and test a cup of ice water where the ice has been crushed to be at 32F.

 

[kh54s10]

Do a starter for sure. As said you should anyway... If it does freeze it WILL kill most, if not all, the yeast.

As to having a stuck batch at 1.020? Recipe? Yeast? Extract? If extract that could be all you would get. They often stop at 1.020 but have not stalled.

I doubt that it had anything to do with being dry yeast. I use dry often with no problems. The last couple of extracts I didn't bother with an FG though, should be ok in a keg.

 

[MichiganMike]

As to having a stuck batch at 1.020? Recipe? Yeast? Extract? If extract that could be all you would get. They often stop at 1.020 but have not stalled.
QUOTE]


http://www.brewersbestkits.com/pdf/1028 2013 German Octoberfest Recipe.pdf

it is a brewers best Oktoberfest extract. It was my first brew ever and it actually turned out pretty well. The recipe had an OG of 1.056 hence the reason i should have used a starter. But like I said it turned out well, at least I think it is good.
I will see if the yeast is frozen when I get home if it is I will just buy more from the Local store.

 

[MichiganMike]

Yes starter for sure.

Btw, your brews finishing at 1.020 is probably for of a mash temperature or grain bill issue than a yeast issue, especially with dry yeast.

My guess is your mashing near 158-160F which I do purposely for my sweet porters or stouts. if your thermometer reads lower Han that during mash I would test it. Make sure a solid boil of waters come in at 212F and test a cup of ice water where the ice has been crushed to be at 0F.

I used two thermometers on this brew a candy therm and a hand held and steeped the grains at 152-155 degrees

 

[Zoidberg]

well since you said it was an extract, this actual doesn't matter. What was the recipes target FG? Did it use any sugars sugar as Malto-Dextrin? or Lactose?

 

[flars]

I just bought two kits both with White Labs California Ale V Yeast WL051 that was shipped to my house today. I am not home and will not be home until 11:30 tonight. My question is that it is only 14 degrees outside right now, should I worry about the yeast freezing and if it does freeze will it be destroyed?

According to White Labs each freeze/thaw cycle will cause a 10% loss of viability.

 

[boydster]

+1 to making a starter, freezing probably won't kill the entire vial of yeast but it can kill some of them and making a starter with liquid yeast will help increase both viability and vitality, plus it is a good practice for practically all ales.

Off topic, but the issue you had with the extract kit stopping at 1.020 using dry yeast is a different issue entirely and shouldn't be wrapped up into the frozen vial/starter thing. Extract batches can sometimes stop at 1.020 - I wouldn't say often, as I've done a lot and only had one that stopped there - due in part to the fermentability of the extract for many reasons like age, maltster quality control, but also in part to the viability of the yeast because of both the age of the packet and whether it was rehydrated or not.

 

[MichiganMike]

I should have updated earlier but I guess better late than never. I made a yeast starter on Friday for the batch of beer that was planning brewing Saturday. The starter seemed to be very effective. The starter was very active Friday night and Saturday morning. The day after brew day (February 16th) there was major action in my fermenter which lasted around 6-7 days. The OG was 1.066 and when I checked the other day it was at 1.012 . I am very happy I went with a yeast starter and am looking forward to testing this beer out in 4 more weeks
Thanks for everyone's help